Barishal Engineering College

Department of Civil Engineering

CE 304: Engineering Material Lab.

Experiment No. 3
Test for Direct Compressive Strength of cement mortar.

Related Theory:
The mechanical strength of hardened cement is the property of this material, which is,
perhaps, the most important one for its structural use. Test for structural strength is not
made on a neat cement paste because of difficulties in molding and testing with
consequent large variations in results. The strength of cement is usually determined from
tests on mortars. Several tests are performed to determine the tensile, compressive and
shear strength of cement of mortar of certain portion. Cement mortar of concrete gives a
compressive strength of about ten times its tensile strength.

This test method converse determination of the compressive strength of hydraulic cement
mortars, using 2-in or 50-mm cube specimens.

This test method conforms to the ASTM standard requirements of specification C109.
The standard requirement of minimum compressive strength as per ASTM C150 for
Ordinary Portland cement (type I) are as follows.

Age (Days) Minimum compressive Strength,- psi (Mpa)

3 1800 (12.4)
7 2800 (19.3)
28 4000 (27.6)

Objective:
The objective of this experiment is to determine the direct compressive strength of
cement mortar.

Apparatus:
1. Balance (sensitive to 0.1 gm),
2. 250-ml graduated measuring jar,
3. 2sets of 2-in cube molds with base plates,
4. Mixing pans,
5. Temper,
6. Trowels, and
7. Testing machine.

The sand use for making test specimens shall be natural silica sand conforming to the
requirements for graded standard sand (natural silica sand conforming C 778) in the
following specification.
 Sieve Accumulative % Retained
No. 16 None
No. 30 22
No. 40 305
No. 50 755
No. 100 982

Number of specimens
6 9
Cement, g 500 740
Sand, g 1375 2035
Water, ml Portland (0.485) 242 359
Air-containing (0.46) 230 340

Experimental procedure:

Composition of mortars:

The proportion of materials for the slandered mortars shall be 1 part of cement to 2.75
parts of graded standard sand by weight. Use a water-cement ratio of 0.485 for all
Portland cement.

The quantities of materials to be mixed at one time in the batch of mortar for making six
and nine specimens..

Preparation of mortar:
1. Place required amount of water in dry mixing bowl.
2. Add the cement to the water and mix for 30 second.
3. Add nearly one-half of the sand and mix for 30 sec.
4. Add the remainder of the sand and mix vigorously for 2 minutes.

Molding Test Specimens:

1.

1 2 3 4 4 5
8 7 6 5 3 6
2 7
Rounds 1 8 Round
1 and 3 2 and 4

Fig.1: Order of Tempering in molding of Test Specimens.

Place a layer of mortar about 1 in. (25mm) (approximately one half of the depth of the
mold) in all of the cube compartments. Tamp the mortar in each cube compartment 32
times in about 10 sec in 4 rounds, each round to be at right angles to the other and
consisting of eight adjoining strokes over the surface of the specimens as illustrated in
fig. 1. The temping pressure shall be just sufficient to ensure uniform filling of the molds.
The 4 rounds of temping (32 strokes) of the mortar shall be completed in one cube before
going to the next.

b) When the temping of the first layer in all of the cube compartments is completed, fill
the compartments with remaining mortar and then temp as specified for the first layer.
During tamping of the second layer bring in the mortar forced out onto the tops of the
molds after each round of tamping by means of the gloves figures and the temper upon
completion of each round and before starting the next round of tamping.

c) On completion of tamping, the tops of all cubes should extend slightly above the tops
of the molds. Bring in the mortar that has been forced out on to the topes of the molds
with a trowel and smooth off the cubes by drawing the flat side of the trowel (with the
leading edge slightly raised) one across the top of the each cube at right angles to the
length of the mold. Then for the purpose of leveling the mortar that protrudes above top
of the molds of more uniform thickness, draw the fiat side of the trowel (with leading
edge slightly raised) lightly once along the length of the mold. Cut off the mortar to plane
surface flush with the top of the mold by drawing the straight edge of the trowel(held
nearly perpendicular to the mold) with sawing motion over the length of the mold.

Storage of Test Specimens:

Immediately upon completion of molding, place the test specimens in the moist closet or
moist room. Keep all the specimens, immediately after molding, in the mold on the base
places in the moist closet or moist room from 20 to 24 h with their upper surfaces
exposed to the moist air but protected from creeping water. If the specimens are removed
from the mold before 24 h old, and then immerse the specimens, except those for the 24-h
test, in saturated limewater in storage tanks constructed of no corroding materials. Keep
the storage water clean by changing as required.

Determining of compressive strength:

a) Test the specimens immediately after their removal from the moist closet in the case of
24-hspecimen, and from storage water in the case of all other specimens. All the test
specimens for a given test age should be broken under compressive force within the
permissible time tolerance prescribed as follows:

Test Age Permissible Tolerance

24 h ½ h
3 days 1 h
7 days 3 h
28 days 12 h
If more than one specimen at a time is removed from the moist closet for the 24-h tests,
keep the specimens covered with a damp cloth until the time of testing. If more than one
specimen at a time is removed from the storage water of testing, keep these specimens in
water at a temperature of 73.43F (231.7C) and have sufficient depth to completely
immerse each specimen until the time of testing.

b) Wipe each specimen to a surface-dry condition, and remove any loose sand grains or
incrustations from the face that will be contact with the bearing blocks of the testing
machine. Check these faces by applying a straightedge. If there is applicable curvature,
grind the face or faces or discard the specimen. A periodic check of the cross-sectional
area of the specimens should be made.

c) Apply the load to specimen faces that were in contact with the true plane surface of the
mold. Carefully place the specimen in the testing machine bellow the center of the upper
bearing block. Prior to the testing of each cube, it shall be ascertained that the spherically
seated block is free to tilt. Use no cushioning or bedding materials. An initial loading up
to one half of the expected maximum loads for specimens having excepted maximum
loads of more than 3000 lbf (13.3 KN) may be applied at any convenient rate. Apply no
initial loading to specimens having expected maximum loads of less than 3000 lbf
(13.3KN). Adjust the rate of load application so that the load remainder of the load or the
entire load in the case of expected maximum loads of less than 3000 lbf (13.3KN) is
applied, without interruption, to failure such a rate that the maximum load will be reached
in neither in 20 sec nor in more than 80 sec from the start of loading. Make no adjustment
in the controls of the testing machine while a specimen is yielding prior to failure.

Calculation:
Record the total maximum loads indicated by the testing machine, and calculate the
compressive strength in pounds per square inch (or passels). If the cross sectional area of
a specimen varies more than 15 % from the normal, Use the actual area for the
calculation of the compressive strength

Draw the strength vs. age curve on a plain graph paper

Report the result to the nearest 10-psi (70 kPa).
 DATA SHEET

Specimen: 2 cube.
Cement: gm.
Sand: gm.
Water-cement ratio:

Age Specimen No. Crushing Load Specimen Compressive Average

(days) (lb) Area (in2) strength (psi) compressive
strength

Name:
Roll:
Level:
Semester:
Group:
Date:

Signature of the Teacher

Sample calculation:

Result:
Assignment:

1. Compare your result with standard strength requirement of ordinary Portland cement
as specified by the ASTM. If you observed any deviation from the standard
requirement, discus different factors that might be responsible for this.

2. What is the range of temperature for curing water?

3. How the load is to be applied in the test?

4. Explain curing method you adopted in your test. Explain the importance of curing in
strength development. Explain the variation of strength of time.